Liquid Crystals, Nature's Delicate Phase of Matter - Hardcover

Liquid crystals in the last two decades have become part of a technological explosion, leading to advances in areas as diverse as oil recovery, the production of temperature sensors - from medical thermograms to "mood rings" - and biological research into nerve conduction and arteriosclerosis. Although they are as fundamental a phase of matter as solids, liquids, and gases, liquid crystals have over the past century puzzled scientists by their very existence. With this book Peter Collings is among the first to introduce the general reader to what is known of the chemistry and physics of liquid crystals, focusing on the basic principles behind their myriad of delicate properties. Written in a clear and lively style, this work is accessible to readers with a basic science background and the willingness to learn more about this ubiquitous technology. Collings discusses the discovery of liquid crystals and the theoretical research presently being performed. He also describes important applications, emphasizing the role of liquid crystal display technology in such devices as laptop computers, automobile dashboards, and pocket colour televisions. Finally, the author covers new developments pertaining to polymers, emulsions, and biological systems as well as the importance of these advances for industry and medicine.

The book begins with a description of the liquid crystal phase emphasizing its relationship to the other three well-known phases of matter. The types of molecules that form liquid crystal phases and the different liquid crystal phases are then discussed. Some of the general properties of liquid crystals are introduced and the book then addresses how we arrived at our current understanding of the liquid crystal phase. The electromagnetic and optical properties of liquid crystals are addressed and coloured pictures taken under a microscope are used to illustrate many of the properties discussed in the text. A discussion of current applications of liquid crystals and their importance in fluid systems consisting of components which do not mix with each other is included and the role liquid crystals play in the study of soap systems, surfactants and emulsions of various kinds is considered. The book then introduces the reader to what polymers are, how they are made and what properties make them useful and discusses the special characteristics of liquid crystal polymers. It discusses the applications utilizing defect structures that occur on the formation of liquid crystals and the book ends with an examination of the role liquid crystals play in biological systems.